Chantix, the smoking-cessation aid manufactured by Pfizer, has recently been at the centre of thousands of lawsuits from patients who have experienced some of the adverse side effects of the drug. Psychological side effects, such as depression, suicide ideation, behavioral changes, aggression, agitation, suicide attempts, and hostility have been reported in patients, especially those with a history of psychological problems. Physical side effects, such as seizure, muscle disorders, diabetes, vision disturbances, and heart rhythm disturbances have also been reported.
The Multidistrict Litigation Judicial Panel recently identified the need to consolidate Chantix cases into a multidistrict case due to the common issues at the centre of the lawsuits. This will help streamline the judicial process and will get plaintiffs a payout from the company much sooner. In a multidistrict lawsuit, which is similar to a class action lawsuit, similar cases are consolidated and pretrial proceedings are all taken care of in one court. In the case of the Chantix lawsuit, the cases will all be dealt with by Judge Inge P. Johnson in the Northern District of Alabama. However, unlike a class action lawsuit, after the pretrial proceedings take place, the cases will likely be sent back to the district courts from which they originated and be processed through the legal system that way.
However, plaintiffs do not necessarily have to wait this long for their settlement. Although it is not yet known how much of a settlement Pfizer will have to pay to each plaintiff, based on similar cases as well as the large number of cases that have been filed against Pfizer a settlement will likely be offered to many patients before trial proceedings even start. In instances where this is not the case and no settlement is offered by the company, the first cases will most likely begin their trials sometime in 2012.
No comments:
Post a Comment